I am always surprised as to the direction a coaching conversation takes, as often, it will end up being about a challenge not raised by the business owner at the start of the conversation.

This maxim was never truer in a recent conversation with a business owner who approached me for assistance in recruiting a new person to assist with managing the growth of a rapidly expanding business.  The business owner wanted to talk about the process of recruitment and how to find the right person for the role.

I did not buy into this conversation but instead responded with the following simple question:

“Why do you want to recruit this person?”

In response the business owner started talking about the need to build systems and processes such that the business would run efficiently and effectively.  In this way, the business owner could step back to concentrate on creating and successfully implementing a strategy to drive the business to the next level.

To illustrate the importance of building a strong foundation, I referred to the Sydney Harbor Bridge.  The construction of the bridge commenced in 1925 and was opened in 1932.   Nearly 90 years later, the foundations of the bridge have not been strengthened.   This is amazing given the increase in volume of rail & road traffic that now crosses the bridge each day versus the amount when it was opened.

The lesson for any business owner is to build the foundation for your business not for how it is today but build the foundation today for the business you aspire to create.